Page 66 - Lohgarh
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66 w Lohgarh : The Worlds Largest Fort
By this time, the number of the Sikh soldiers had crossed ten
thousand. According to Khaki Khan:
In just two to three months, four to five thousand horsemen, and seven
to eight thousand foot soldiers joined him. Day by day, their number went
on increasing and they plundered a lot of valuables. Soon eighteen to
nineteen thousand persons began a reign of plundering. 10
The Sikhs Capture Ghuram
After handing over Samana to Fateh Singh, Banda Singh turned his
attention towards Ghuram. 11 On his way to Ghuram, he captured
Sanaur too. Here too, Banda Singh got some arms and horses.
12
Banda Singh wanted to capture all the Forts around Sarhind with a
view to isolate and deprive it (Sarhind) from any possible help from
outside. Though Ghuram Fort did not have a very big force, but its
caretaker decided to put up a fight against the Sikh army. So, a fierce
battle was fought here, but before evening the Sikhs were able to
capture this Fort too. During this battle, hundreds of soldiers of the
Mughal army were killed or wounded.
Attack on Thaska
After capturing Ghuram, Banda Singh moved to Thaska (about 20 km
from Ghuram). This was also known as Thaska Miran Ji; and, was the
13
abode of hundreds of Sayyads, Sheikhs and rich Mughals and other
umraa. Some of these boasted themselves to be pirs (known among
Muslims as holy men). They used to befool common folk by propagating
that they had miraculous powers. It was like the false propaganda of
the priests of the city of Parbhas Pattan (the city of Somnath temple).
In 1027, when Mohammed Ghauri attacked, the Hindu priests had
claimed (in fact boasted) that due to their mantras (incantation, magical
verses) Ghauri would not be able to enter their city; and, the same had
been boasted by the Pirs of Sayyadpur (Eimanabad) when Babar attacked
14
the city in 1520. Neither at Somnath nor at Sayyadpur, had the drama
of miracles worked as that was a mere fraud (and there is no such
miraculous power on this earth). The attackers plundered and
